Leadership Defined

Characterizing Effective Leaders

Developed from the Contents of

Reginald Leon Greens

Practicing the Art of Leadership: A

Problem-based Approach to
Implementing the ISLLC
Standards

Characteristics of Effective
Leaders
Knowledge

of Self

Effective

Knowledge

of Others

Establishers

of Trust

Vision

Relationship

Builders

Influence

Quality

Communication

Makers

Decision

Knowledge of Self
Effective

leaders have a firm idea of what they believe,

realizing that they live by their beliefs. Also, they develop
an understanding of how their beliefs influence their
behavior and the behavior of others.

Knowledge of Others
Effective

leaders develop an understanding of

stakeholders and through that understanding they
build strong interpersonal relationships
throughout the organization.

Vision
Effective

leaders are individuals with a

vision, and they are able to effectively
communicate that vision to others, both
inside and outside of the organization.

Vision
Using

their vision as the focal point, they unite a

faculty into a cohesive group with the main idea
being the attainment of established goals.

Influence
Effective

leaders develop a deep familiarity with the

organization and are able to influence others to work
in innovative ways.

Influence
The

influence of effective leadership goes

beyond routine compliance; it is directive
and orderly.

Influence
Leaders

with influence have the ability to

communicate their beliefs and ideas so that others
are influenced directly or indirectly.

Effective Communication
Effective

communication is a critical
element of leadership.

Effective Communication
Using

effective communication strategies,

the leader empowers followers, enabling
them to feel comfortable in discussing
problem issues and taking initiative to
provide suggestions.

Effective Communication
Using

effective communication strategies,

effective leaders acquire feedback from
followers, an important aspect of effective
decision making.

Trust
Effective

leaders develop trust, which

comes from the fact that they say what they
truly believe and behave in a consistent
manner.

Trust
Through

consistent behavior, effective leaders create

an environment of mutual trust, respect, and open
lines of communication.

Task and Relationship

Effective

leaders choose a leadership style

that reflects a concern for people while
focusing on task completion.

Quality Decision Making

Effective

leaders develop an understanding of the

culture of the organization and respect that culture
as organizational decisions are made.

Effective Leaders
Effective

leaders strive to create an

environment that accepts and promotes
individual differences. As a result, they
empower the entire organization.

Effective Leaders

Stand

on principles and base their actions

on those principles.

References
Barth,

R. (1990). Improving schools from within.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Fullan, M. (1999). Change forces: The sequel.
New York: Falmer Press.
Greenberg, J. (1996). Managing behavior in
organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Sergiovanni, T. J. (1995). The principalship: A
reflective perspective. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.